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xinganhao · 1 month ago

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cherry on top 🍒 mafia boss!seungcheol x reader. (4)

stories like this always end with a damsel in distress. except—this time around—you’re not the one who needs saving. previous chapter + masterlist.

📄 Minutes of strategic information meeting, filed by Kim Mingyu (Mafia Soldier, Logistics & Recon)

Date: ██████████ Location: Safehouse Omega-9, Undisclosed City Perimeter Time: 03:17 HRS

ATTENDEES:

Yoon Jeonghan (Underboss)

Lee Chan (Combat Unit Leader)

Chwe Hansol (Surveillance Division)

Kim Mingyu (Logistics & Recon; Recording Officer)

Civilian Target [REDACTED] (Unauthorized Attendee)

AGENDA:

Contingency Plan for Retrieval of Boss (S.Coups)

Chain of Command During Absence

External Threat Assessment

[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT]

JEONGHAN: We go in through the east dock. Two snipers posted by 03:40. Chan leads breach. Hansol, your eyes stay on thermal—no improvisation this time.

HANSOL: I never improvise. My brilliance is structured.

CHAN: Can we not do this right now?

JEONGHAN: [ignoring them] Mingyu, once we get him out, you're on evac. Full blackout route. No trackers, no chatter.

MINGYU: Copy.

HANSOL: Any updates on who turned? Someone had to leak coordinates.

CHAN: There’s a list. We’ll handle it after we bring the boss home. One fire at a time.

[DOOR SLAMS OPEN. SOUND OF HIGH-HEELED FOOTSTEPS. SILENCE.]

CIVILIAN TARGET: You’re planning this without me?

JEONGHAN: [visibly tense] You weren’t invited.

CIVILIAN TARGET: He’s my belo—my boyfriend, Jeonghan. You think I’m just going to sit around while you play war games?

JEONGHAN: This isn’t a movie. You’re a civilian. You don’t belong in this room.

CIVILIAN TARGET: No, I’m the reason he still believes in soft things. I belong more than half the people at this table.

CHAN: She’s got a point.

JEONGHAN: Chan.

CHAN: I’m just saying. She’s not exactly fragile.

HANSOL: She did rewire one of my bugs with a paperclip. That was... not unimpressive.

JEONGHAN: [sighs] This isn’t about guts. It’s about blood.

CIVILIAN TARGET: Then you should know mine’s already on the line. Every second he’s gone, I feel it. And I’m done being sidelined. I’m not here to ask. I’m here to help.

[BEAT OF SILENCE. THEN—]

JEONGHAN: You get one job. And if you screw it up, I’ll personally drag you out.

CIVILIAN TARGET: Deal.

JEONGHAN: Hansol, give her the map. Mingyu, loop her in.

MINGYU: You’re going to need a comm. And a bulletproof vest.

CIVILIAN TARGET: Got both. And a knife in my boot.

CHAN: Okay, badass.

[MEETING CONTINUED UNDER LEVEL-2 SECRECY PROTOCOLS. TRANSCRIPT REDACTED. END OF MINUTES.]

FINAL NOTES:

Civilian Target formally added to Operation Homecoming roster.

Jeonghan authorized conditional field involvement.

Morale status: heightened.

Risk level: astronomically high.

🗂️ Operation Homecoming: Field Notes & Briefing Report, compiled by mafia underboss, Yoon Jeonghan

Clearance Level: Top Confidential Date Logged: ██████████ Location: Safehouse Omega-9

SUMMARY: Boss (S.Coups) was captured 48 hours ago following the receipt of a falsified emergency ping traced back to the civilian target’s encoded channel. The ping claimed she’d been injured and was en route to an undisclosed hospital in Sector D. According to surveillance logs, the Boss diverted course alone, abandoning standard security protocol. We believe he was intentionally isolated through signal jamming, then intercepted at the underpass beneath Route 14.

AUTOPSY OF THE TRAP:

Fake GPS tag mimicked civilian target’s bio-signal pattern

Voice distortion software replicated her distress call

EMP deployed upon vehicle arrival to disable tracking

Tactical unit waited with sedation-grade rounds

CURRENT LOCATION OF BOSS: Confirmed. Underground storage facility, formerly Syndicate-aligned. Defected cell now controls the zone. Reinforcements on site. Boss presumed alive—last thermal footage confirms faint movement.

INTERVENTION STRATEGY: OPERATION HOMECOMING

Phase One – Extraction:

Entry through east dock (03:40 HRS)

Chan leads breach unit, Hansol on thermal, Mingyu handling evac

All units silent channel only

Phase Two – Internal Sweep:

Civilian target assigned distraction and misdirection role (see below)

Two-minute window to locate and stabilize Boss

Phase Three – Extraction + Fade:

Mingyu initiates blackout route

Decoys deployed on west perimeter to delay pursuit

Rendezvous at Site Echo

CIVILIAN TARGET: PERFORMANCE LOG

Arrived wearing borrowed Kevlar and jeans tucked into combat boots. Asked if bulletproof vests same in women’s sizes. Did not wait for response.

Showed immediate enthusiasm, zero tactical finesse. Hansol gave her the map. She held it upside down. Twice.

Informed her she’d be working as the visual diversion. Her response: “Like bait?” Followed by: “Cool. I’m good at being annoying.”

Surprisingly effective. Created a loud enough ruckus on the perimeter to draw three guards off their posts. Managed to bluff her way past checkpoint by pretending to be a lost food delivery driver. Claimed she had gluten-free soba for a man named Kevin. There is no Kevin.

Still not sure how she pulled it off.

When Boss was found, he was semi-conscious but breathing. Whispered her name first.

END STATUS:

Boss retrieved.

Minimal casualties (1 injured – not fatal)

Facility compromised but not traced

Civilian target cried in the van. Then threatened to punch me for writing that down. I'm writing it down anyway.

FOOTNOTE — for Seungcheol’s eyes only: You’re reckless, stubborn, and impossible to reason with. But apparently, that’s your thing. You’re also luckier than most of us ever will be.

She didn’t sleep. Not once. Kept looking at every door like you might walk through it.

When you did, she didn’t even say anything. Just threw her arms around you like gravity stopped working.

Try not to make her go through that again.

– YJH

📱 Phone history log, filed by mafia soldier Chwe Hansol

Device: S.Coups' Personal Line (Encrypted Channel #017) Status: Outgoing Messages Only – Blocked by Signal Jammer Timestamp Range: ██:██–██:██ (Time of Abduction)

NOTE: Texts never reached intended recipient. Recovered during post-mission diagnostics. For archival purposes.

[01:12 AM] Where are you? They said you were hurt. I'm on my way.

[01:15 AM] Which hospital? No one's answering. This isn't funny. Call me.

[01:17 AM] Your signal keeps bouncing. Something's wrong. Stay where you are.

[01:21 AM] I swear to god if they laid a hand on you

[01:24 AM] No ambulance ever came.

[01:25 AM] This is a setup.

[01:27 AM] I'm so stupid. They used you. Fuck fuck fuck

[01:28 AM] I should've followed protocol. Should’ve sent Mingyu. Should’ve sent anyone but me.

[01:30 AM] If you get this, lock all the windows. Call Jeonghan. Stay put.

[01:34 AM] They knew I’d come for you.

[01:36 AM] This isn’t your fault.

[01:39 AM] Don’t come after me.

[01:41 AM] Love, beloved, please. Don’t try to save me.

[01:45 AM] You always do this—you throw yourself into fires you don't understand.

[01:49 AM] If they hurt you because of me, I’ll never forgive myself.

[01:52 AM] Tell Jeonghan to burn everything. Get out. Go far.

[01:54 AM] Forget me if you have to. Just live.

[02:01 AM] I love you. Please, please, please, don’t be stupid.

[END OF RECOVERED LOG]

📰 Excerpt from "The Ethics of Mafias: Love in the Line of Fire", a follow-up think piece by Xu Minghao

... If leadership within organized crime is already an ethical minefield, then love within it is something more volatile still: a paradox of vulnerability embedded in violence. New whispers surround the figure known only as S.Coups—the alleged mafia boss whose name, until recently, conjured images of discipline, domination, and an empire forged in precision.

Now, another narrative has emerged. One that reshapes how we understand not just the man, but the very myth he embodies.

According to rumors sourced from both within and outside the organization, S.Coups may have a romantic partner. Not a fellow operative, nor a political alliance. But a civilian. Someone unaffiliated and—crucially—untouched by the bloodied logic of the underworld.

If this is true, the implications are vast.

To love in his position is a risk. It is weakness, some would say. Yet others might argue that such love is the only thing capable of keeping a man like him from becoming monstrous. If the rumors are accurate, she is the reason he looks over his shoulder less. The reason he checks his own wrath. The reason his most trusted lieutenants have stopped fearing him and started worrying about him.

Love, here, is not a diversion. It is discipline.

And perhaps that is the most fascinating ethical twist of all: that this boss, so often theorized as either tyrant or savior, might be both—because of her.

Some say he texts her between assassinations. That he buys her gummy bears because she mentioned liking them once, months ago. That he has started folding her laundry and learning her aunt’s dietary restrictions. These are, of course, unconfirmed. They seem almost laughably mundane. But within the shadowed world of syndicates and secret wars, what could be more radical than tenderness?

Others claim that he was taken. There are now verified reports of a failed abduction and his eventual rescue. She was allegedly involved. They say she showed up unarmed, untrained, and utterly unafraid. They say she demanded to be part of the rescue mission. They say she was reckless, infuriating, and ultimately, instrumental.

And that when he saw her again, he wept.

To be loved, it turns out, is not always soft. Sometimes, it is brutal and inelegant and wildly inconvenient. But in the context of a life built on violence, to be loved is to be saved. Again and again. In the ways that matter.

Whether S.Coups is worthy of that love is not the question. The question is whether it has already changed him. Whether, in the end, the girl outside the syndicate might be the only thing real in a world made of smoke and mirrors.

And whether that, more than power or fear, will be his lasting legacy.

Mafia boss S.Coups is many things. Protector, manipulator. Brother, enemy, friend.

It seems we must add two more things:

Lover, and loved.

FIN. THANK YOU FOR READING CHERRY ON TOP!

› scroll through all my work ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ my masterlist | @xinganhao

#seungcheol x reader #scoups x reader #seungcheol imagines #scoups imagines #seungcheol smau #scoups smau #svt text imagines #svt x reader #seventeen x reader #svt smau #seventeen smau #── ᵎᵎ ✦ mine #── ᵎᵎ ✦ series: cot

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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year ago

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How lock-in hurts design

Berliners: Otherland has added a second date (Jan 28) for my book-talk after the first one sold out - book now!

If you've ever read about design, you've probably encountered the idea of "paving the desire path." A "desire path" is an erosion path created by people departing from the official walkway and taking their own route. The story goes that smart campus planners don't fight the desire paths laid down by students; they pave them, formalizing the route that their constituents have voted for with their feet.

Desire paths aren't always great (Wikipedia notes that "desire paths sometimes cut through sensitive habitats and exclusion zones, threatening wildlife and park security"), but in the context of design, a desire path is a way that users communicate with designers, creating a feedback loop between those two groups. The designers make a product, the users use it in ways that surprise the designer, and the designer integrates all that into a new revision of the product.

This method is widely heralded as a means of "co-innovating" between users and companies. Designers who practice the method are lauded for their humility, their willingness to learn from their users. Tech history is strewn with examples of successful paved desire-paths.

Take John Deere. While today the company is notorious for its war on its customers (via its opposition to right to repair), Deere was once a leader in co-innovation, dispatching roving field engineers to visit farms and learn how farmers had modified their tractors. The best of these modifications would then be worked into the next round of tractor designs, in a virtuous cycle:

https://securityledger.com/2019/03/opinion-my-grandfathers-john-deere-would-support-our-right-to-repair/

But this pattern is even more pronounced in the digital world, because it's much easier to update a digital service than it is to update all the tractors in the field, especially if that service is cloud-based, meaning you can modify the back-end everyone is instantly updated. The most celebrated example of this co-creation is Twitter, whose users created a host of its core features.

Retweets, for example, were a user creation. Users who saw something they liked on the service would type "RT" and paste the text and the link into a new tweet composition window. Same for quote-tweets: users copied the URL for a tweet and pasted it in below their own commentary. Twitter designers observed this user innovation and formalized it, turning it into part of Twitter's core feature-set.

Companies are obsessed with discovering digital desire paths. They pay fortunes for analytics software to produce maps of how their users interact with their services, run focus groups, even embed sneaky screen-recording software into their web-pages:

https://www.wired.com/story/the-dark-side-of-replay-sessions-that-record-your-every-move-online/

This relentless surveillance of users is pursued in the name of making things better for them: let us spy on you and we'll figure out where your pain-points and friction are coming from, and remove those. We all win!

But this impulse is a world apart from the humility and respect implied by co-innovation. The constant, nonconsensual observation of users has more to do with controlling users than learning from them.

That is, after all, the ethos of modern technology: the more control a company can exert over its users ,the more value it can transfer from those users to its shareholders. That's the key to enshittification, the ubiquitous platform decay that has degraded virtually all the technology we use, making it worse every day:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

When you are seeking to control users, the desire paths they create are all too frequently a means to wrestling control back from you. Take advertising: every time a service makes its ads more obnoxious and invasive, it creates an incentive for its users to search for "how do I install an ad-blocker":

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/adblocking-how-about-nah

More than half of all web-users have installed ad-blockers. It's the largest consumer boycott in human history:

https://doc.searls.com/2023/11/11/how-is-the-worlds-biggest-boycott-doing/

But zero app users have installed ad-blockers, because reverse-engineering an app requires that you bypass its encryption, triggering liability under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This law provides for a $500,000 fine and a 5-year prison sentence for "circumvention" of access controls:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/12/youre-holding-it-wrong/#if-dishwashers-were-iphones

Beyond that, modifying an app creates liability under copyright, trademark, patent, trade secrets, noncompete, nondisclosure and so on. It's what Jay Freeman calls "felony contempt of business model":

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

This is why services are so horny to drive you to install their app rather using their websites: they are trying to get you to do something that, given your druthers, you would prefer not to do. They want to force you to exit through the gift shop, you want to carve a desire path straight to the parking lot. Apps let them mobilize the law to literally criminalize those desire paths.

An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a felony to block ads in it (or do anything else that wrestles value back from a company). Apps are web-pages where everything not forbidden is mandatory.

Seen in this light, an app is a way to wage war on desire paths, to abandon the cooperative model for co-innovation in favor of the adversarial model of user control and extraction.

Corporate apologists like to claim that the proliferation of apps proves that users like them. Neoliberal economists love the idea that business as usual represents a "revealed preference." This is an intellectually unserious tautology: "you do this, so you must like it":

https://boingboing.net/2024/01/22/hp-ceo-says-customers-are-a-bad-investment-unless-they-can-be-made-to-buy-companys-drm-ink-cartridges.html

Calling an action where no alternatives are permissible a "preference" or a "choice" is a cheap trick – especially when considered against the "preferences" that reveal themselves when a real choice is possible. Take commercial surveillance: when Apple gave Ios users a choice about being spied on – a one-click opt of of app-based surveillance – 96% of users choice no spying:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/96-of-us-users-opt-out-of-app-tracking-in-ios-14-5-analytics-find/

But then Apple started spying on those very same users that had opted out of spying by Facebook and other Apple competitors:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Neoclassical economists aren't just obsessed with revealed preferences – they also love to bandy about the idea of "moral hazard": economic arrangements that tempt people to be dishonest. This is typically applied to the public ("consumers" in the contemptuous parlance of econospeak). But apps are pure moral hazard – for corporations. The ability to prohibit desire paths – and literally imprison rivals who help your users thwart those prohibitions – is too tempting for companies to resist.

The fact that the majority of web users block ads reveals a strong preference for not being spied on ("users just want relevant ads" is such an obvious lie that doesn't merit any serious discussion):

https://www.iccl.ie/news/82-of-the-irish-public-wants-big-techs-toxic-algorithms-switched-off/

Giant companies attained their scale by learning from their users, not by thwarting them. The person using technology always knows something about what they need to do and how they want to do it that the designers can never anticipate. This is especially true of people who are unlike those designers – people who live on the other side of the world, or the other side of the economic divide, or whose bodies don't work the way that the designers' bodies do:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/20/benevolent-dictators/#felony-contempt-of-business-model

Apps – and other technologies that are locked down so their users can be locked in – are the height of technological arrogance. They embody a belief that users are to be told, not heard. If a user wants to do something that the designer didn't anticipate, that's the user's fault:

https://www.wired.com/2010/06/iphone-4-holding-it-wrong/

Corporate enthusiasm for prohibiting you from reconfiguring the tools you use to suit your needs is a declaration of the end of history. "Sure," John Deere execs say, "we once learned from farmers by observing how they modified their tractors. But today's farmers are so much stupider and we are so much smarter that we have nothing to learn from them anymore."

Spying on your users to control them is a poor substitute asking your users their permission to learn from them. Without technological self-determination, preferences can't be revealed. Without the right to seize the means of computation, the desire paths never emerge, leaving designers in the dark about what users really want.

Our policymakers swear loyalty to "innovation" but when corporations ask for the right to decide who can innovate and how, they fall all over themselves to create laws that let companies punish users for the crime of contempt of business-model.

I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/24/everything-not-mandatory/#is-prohibited

Image: Belem (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Desire_path_%2819811581366%29.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #desire paths #design #drm #everything not mandatory is prohibited #apps #ip #innovation #user innovation #technological self-determination #john deere #twitter #felony contempt of business model

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astrolook · 2 months ago

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The Astrology About Your Difficult Placements & Turning Them Into A Career Opportunity

Note: This post is based on my personal observations and patterns I've noticed over the years. It's important to understand that no single placement in a chart can determine whether someone is “good” or “bad,” a success or a failure, or even something as extreme as a criminal. Astrology is complex, and the entire birth chart must be considered as a whole. What we often label as "difficult" placements can actually become powerful sources of strength if we choose to approach them with awareness, effort, and a growth mindset. These placements aren’t curses, they’re invitations to evolve. This post is based on Vedic/Sidereal Astrology.

Astrology is a lot like Google Maps, it shows you possible routes to your destination, but it’s still up to you which path to take. It can guide, not dictate. That’s why I find it disheartening when some astrologers deliver overly negative interpretations that leave people feeling helpless or afraid and making serious life decisions based on it. Every placement holds multiple possibilities, some more challenging than others. With awareness and the right mindset, even the toughest placements can become powerful tools for growth.

These placements don’t doom you, they challenge you to rise.

Mars in 12th - Hidden enemies, betrayal from co-workers/colleagues, vehicle accidents, high blood pressure, imprisonment, compulsive behavior, hit man.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for martial artists, military careers, architectural /structural engineering, psychologist, working in intelligence or secret service, crime scene investigator, MMA fighter, monk, athletes, etc.

Moon in 8th - Volcanic emotions often buried. Might be emotionally manipulative in a subtle way. Intense and secretive and hide their emotions. Reads people with their x-ray vision.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for healers, astrologer, detective, investigator, researcher, astronomer, criminal profiler, hospice worker, witch, therapist, grief counselor, cult leader, etc.

Venus in 8th - Can get into surface-level relationships for "convenience". STDs, in some cases. Financial ruin from the partners. Betrays/cheats or the other way around.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for relationship counselor, sex therapist, even porn stars, financial advisor, lobbyist, artists, script writer, photographers, videographers, model, financial firm chairman, business owner, club/casino owner/worker, etc.

North Node in 1st - Prone to attract scandals, betrayals. Identity crisis. Chases validation, success or people only to feel empty. Project an image that's not real.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for social media influencer, streamer, entrepreneur, lawyer, public figure, vlogger, model, activist, etc.

Sun in 12th - Side character in their own life. Hypochondriacs. Felt underappreciated or not recognized for your self-worth. Isolate themselves when depression hits.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for foreign settlement or just moving far away from birth place where they get recognized for being an entrepreneur, startup founder, politician or govt jobs in a foreign country/state, behind-the- scenes work in the movie industry, freelancer, software engineer, etc.

Venus in 6th - Overindulgence in food/drinks. Ovarian cyst for women. Menstrual issues. Prone to get STDs. Betrayal from women. Having a crazy ex.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for service workers, emergency care, veterinarian, doctor, nurse, mental health worker, wellness coach, interior designer, HR, cosmetologist, gynaecologist, pet groomer, dog walker, plastic surgeon, Hairstylist, Makeup specialist, homemaker, hospitality worker, etc.

Mars in 6th - Workplace drama. Chronic illness. Rude to others or other way around. Betrayal from men. Might be a smoker.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for chefs, firefighters, military careers, surgeon, personal trainer, conflict resolution expert, racer, raw material manufacturer, athletes, Managerial positions in the hospitality/retail industry, architect, engineer, etc.

South node in 4th - Detachment from home life or unstable family situation. Foster care, in some cases. Odd one out of the family in some cases.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for a travel consultant/guide, social worker, game developer, life coach, realtor, real estate agent, antique items seller, costume designer, comic artist, comedian script writer, animator, VFX specialist, foster care worker, paediatrician, nutritionist, etc.

North node in 8th - Prone to get into trouble with law enforcement. Into drugs. In and out of jail in some cases. Stalker or the other way around. Pimp, in some cases.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for a criminal lawyer, police officer, forensic investigator, crime or thriller writer, crisis management expert, industrial worker, manufacturer, de-addiction center worker, activist, law enforcement, etc.

Saturn in 4th - Childhood trauma or abuse. Protein or vitamin deficiency, in some cases. Punished/emotional neglect by a parent, in some cases.

On the bright side, this is a good placement for an architect, realtor, nuclear power plant engineer/worker, zookeeper, homeless shelter worker, factory worker, volcanologist, meteorologist, nutritionist, bio tech careers, newsreader, magazine/article writer, TV show host, small business owner, carpenter, etc.

Wanna go deeper into the layers of your placements? DM me for a complete astrology reading or a 5 year/8 year marriage report or synastry reading🌙💬 and check out my pinned post for pricing + details 💫💸

Let’s decode your cosmic chaos together ⭐

Part 2 of this post will be about retrograde planets!

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dreg-heap · 7 months ago

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Software devs: Uh yeah we've collected enough data that we can like, predict what someone's preferred route might be across the map but it's not really any better than Google map's machine learning, we're using their API and they've been using it for years longer than us

Niantic CEO, Immediately after snorting a line: The pentagon is gonna buy me a fucking yacht

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liquidcrystalsky · 1 day ago

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okay whenever i talk about linux i say shit like "development is easier" or throw around things like LXC or POSIX/UNIX, or whatever insane terms but:

here's my list of actual shit that the average person would care about

Most updates including core system components usually don't even need a reboot(please reboot your computer at least once a week). If it does, it waits for me to reboot. It wont ever stop me in the middle of something to ask me to or force it on me.

If i plug in a device it will just work. I do not need to install drivers or some stinky special crap software for it to be detected, it will most often just work (every new linux kernel version adds so much support for new and old hardware. If it doesn't work now, it might work later!)

Package management. I've sung it's praises so much already but. every other device i know you can click a button and it will update all the apps on your device. except windows. App has an update? Open the software centre or Discover or whatever, click a button boom it's updated. All controlled from one place, no worries about does the app update itself, or whether you're downloading the right installer for your system, just use the package manager that comes with the system and it's good.

It's as minimal as i want it to be. Both windows and mac suffer a lot from just having a bunch of crap that you cannot get rid of. I installed a distro which didnt even come with a graphical interface, it was that minimal. If the distro you use is a bit more reasonable, but it comes with some software you dont want, you can just get rid of it. Shit if you wanted to you can just uninstall the linux kernel and it will just let you, and your computer will be unbootable. You have full control over what you want on your system. Also uninstalling things is less stupid, there's much less cases of leftover files or shit laying around in the registry. (there is no registry)

Audio. "linux audio is bad" is a thing of the past and i'm so serious. Pipewire is an amazing thing. I have full control over which applications give output to which speakers, being able to route one app to multiple speakers at the same time, or even doing things like mapping an input device to speakers so i can monitor it back very easily. I still dont understand why windows does the stupid "default communication device" thing, and they often reset my settings like randomly changing it to 24 bit audio when i only use 16 and certain programs break with it set to 24 idfk. Maybe this is less of an "average user" thing and more of a poweruser thing but i feel like there's SOMETHING in here which may be handy to the average person at some point. i love qpwgraph.

i could think of more but i dont use a computer like a normal person so it will take me time to think of it

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howlsofbloodhounds · 11 months ago

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So this is part 2 of this post, if yall wanna give it a read for context.

In this post, I’ll be talking about how Color’s physical disability of having only one eye would influence how he interacts with his special interests in photography and travel.

As well as how his PTSD, autism, chronic fatigue, and separation anxiety from Killer could also affect things.

With one eye, Color might have reduced depth perception, which could make it challenging to gauge distances accurately. He might rely more on autofocus features, practice to enhance his spatial awareness, or use techniques like focus stacking for precise shots.

He might prefer using cameras with electronic viewfinders (EVF) or live view screens rather than optical viewfinders, which could be more challenging to use with one eye. Adjusting camera settings and composing shots via a larger display would be easier.

He might develop unique framing and composition techniques, leveraging his perspective creatively. Color could take extra time to ensure his shots are well-composed, possibly using grid overlays or other aids to help with alignment.

Customizing camera gear to suit his needs, such as using tripods, stabilizers, or remote controls, to help steady the camera and compose shots more comfortably.

He might spend additional time in post-processing to correct any minor misalignments or issues that arise from the reduced depth perception during the shooting process.

For travel, navigating unfamiliar places might require more caution, especially in crowded or complex environments. He might use mobility aids, rely on GPS and mapping apps, or travel with companions to ensure safety.

Color could engage in meticulous planning to minimize unexpected challenges, such as researching accessible routes, accommodations, and transportation options.

Color might use his experiences and perspective to connect with others, sharing how his disability influences his travel and photography, fostering understanding and empathy.

Developing strategies to cope with the physical demands of travel, such as pacing himself, taking regular breaks, and prioritizing destinations or activities that are less physically demanding.

His unique perspective could inspire him to create compelling stories or advocacy pieces about accessibility in travel and photography, raising awareness and inspiring others with disabilities.

Embracing his distinct view of the world, his photography could offer unique perspectives that stand out, turning his perceived limitation into an artistic advantage.

He might become involved in communities focused on accessible travel and photography, sharing tips, experiences, and inspiring others with similar challenges.

Autism and chronic fatigue would likely significantly impact Color’s ability to engage with his special interests in photography and travel.

In photography, chronic fatigue would necessitate careful energy management. Color might plan shorter, more focused photography sessions and prioritize rest to avoid burnout.

Streamlining his workflow, from setting up equipment to post-processing, to conserve energy. This could include using presets in editing software or organizing his gear for easy access.

He could chose photography locations that are easily accessible and require minimal physical exertion. He might also prefer locations close to home or base to reduce travel time and energy expenditure.

He would likely use ightweight equipment to reduce physical strain, possibly investing in high-quality but compact cameras and lenses. He might also use monopods or lightweight tripods for additional support.

Autism can come with sensory sensitivities. Color might choose quieter, less crowded locations for photography and use noise-canceling headphones or other tools to manage sensory overload.

With travel, he’d have to pace himself. Planning travel with built-in downtime to rest and recharge. He might avoid overly ambitious itineraries and allow for flexible scheduling to accommodate his energy levels.

He’d probably chose ccommodations that are comfortable, quiet, and accessible, ensuring he has a safe space to retreat to when needed.

He’d prefer modes of transportation that offer comfort and minimal stress, such as direct flights, train travel, or driving. He might also opt for private or semi-private tours to control the pace and environment.

Keeping up with healthcare needs, including regular check-ups, medication management, and any necessary accommodations. He might also carry a travel health kit tailored to his specific needs.

He’d combine photography with travel in a way that maximizes enjoyment and minimizes strain. For example, he might focus on travel photography during the golden hours (early morning and late afternoon) when conditions are optimal, and the rest of the day can be used for rest.

Creating content that reflects his experiences with autism and chronic fatigue, such as blogs, vlogs, or social media posts. This can help raise awareness and provide valuable insights to others with similar challenges.

Engaging with communities of autistic travelers and photographers to share experiences, tips, and support. This can provide a sense of camaraderie and practical advice tailored to his needs.

Establishing routines that provide predictability and reduce stress. This might include having a consistent photography and travel routine, preparing for trips well in advance, and creating checklists.

Practicing mindfulness or relaxation techniques to manage stress and sensory overload. This can help maintain focus and calm, particularly in challenging environments.

Utilizing assistive technologies, such as apps for energy tracking, sensory-friendly gear, or digital tools that aid in planning and organization.

Color’s PTSD from solitary confinement and isolation in the Void, combined with his separation anxiety towards Killer, can create a complex situation that both challenges and shapes his engagement in traveling and photography.

Color’s need to stay on the move due to PTSD makes traveling appealing, as it provides a sense of freedom and escape from confinement. However, this constant movement could also become exhausting and anxiety-inducing if it lacks purpose or stability.

His separation anxiety towards Killer might lead him to seek Killer’s company while traveling. Traveling with Killer could provide a sense of security and reduce his anxiety, but it also means his travel plans would need to align with Killer’s availability and willingness to join him.

Color might need to carefully plan his travels to ensure he has safe and familiar places to stay, reducing the unpredictability that could trigger his PTSD. Having a structured itinerary could help him feel more in control and less anxious.

Traveling to new and unfamiliar places might sometimes trigger memories of his isolation, especially if he encounters situations that remind him of the Void. He would need to find a balance between exploring new places and ensuring his mental well-being.

Photography could serve as a therapeutic outlet, allowing Color to process and express his emotions through capturing images. It might help him make sense of his experiences and provide a way to externalize his trauma.

Color might be drawn to photographing subjects that reflect his internal state or provide a sense of solace. He could focus on themes like freedom, movement, and connection, finding meaning and healing in his work.

Having Killer around while engaging in photography could provide comfort and reduce his anxiety. Killer might even become a frequent subject in Color’s photos, symbolizing their bond and mutual support.

Color might need to develop strategies to manage his anxiety while photographing, such as taking breaks, grounding exercises, or having a trusted companion like Killer present. This would help him stay focused and engaged in his special interest.

The mutual separation anxiety between Color and Killer could strengthen their bond, as they rely on each other for emotional support. This bond could provide Color with the stability he needs to engage in his interests.

Color would need to balance his need for movement and exploration with Killer’s needs and limitations. They might develop a mutual understanding and compromise, ensuring both their well-being while pursuing their interests.

Color might prefer traveling to places where he can easily find comfort and familiarity, such as visiting friends or known locations. This reduces the stress of the unknown and helps him stay grounded.

Establishing routines or rituals while traveling and photographing can provide a sense of stability. For example, always starting the day with a specific activity or having regular check-ins with Killer can help Color manage his anxiety.

They might have frequent phone calls if Killer ever can’t join Color on his travels, at particular times of the day.

I can see Color sticking to this routine at the exact time and getting anxious and worried if Killer doesn’t call or pick up, which is likely to happen at some point simply because he has memory issues and sticking to routine is hard for him. But Color, at least for a bit, is likely to assume the worse.

Color might also keep a photograph of him and all his friends close by on his person. (I also like to think that Delta made his camera, he keeps some of Beta’s drawings with him, and also he’s memorized the recipe for Epic’s chocolate cookies.)

If he and Killer have already had their wedding by this point, he’d likely keep his ring close and near. Perhaps kissing it before bed, and fidgeting with it becomes a new comforting stim.

Over time, engaging in his special interests despite his PTSD and anxiety can help Color build resilience. Each successful trip or photography session can boost his confidence and reinforce his ability to cope with challenges.

Color might find deeper meaning in his travels and photography by using them as tools for healing and connection. Documenting his journey and sharing it with others can create a sense of purpose and community.

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ms-demeanor · 2 years ago

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hiya! i love your posts on tech & the way you phrase things is so easy to understand. i'm curious if you'd be willing to talk more about turning off location data-- is is better than nothing to do that and then turn it back on for maps, or at that point does it not matter? & do you have any tips for relying less on digital maps?

I think it's worthwhile to turn it off completely and then if you have to use a mapping tool, turn it on just for that and turn it off when you're at your destination. That doesn't completely erase a phone's ability to track your location (it's still getting cell tower pings) but it's better than letting every nosy app on your phone know where you are all the time, which you should assume every app wants to do by default.

Honestly one of the ways I rely less on digital maps is by using somewhat different digital maps! OsmAnd is an open-source mapping app (that has some problems, ngl) that I can use both with location turned off and on. If I don't want to deal with the funky search on the app I can search a route in my browser and either screenshot directions or simply look at the map and get an idea of where I'm going.

Personally, I drove *a lot* before mapping software was ubiquitous and my advice to relying on it less is to do that; go places without using mapping software and try to find your way around. Look up locations ahead of time either on a paper map or in your browser and figure out which way streets go and where freeway exits are and which numbers are going to be on the left or the right side of the street at your destination. Once you get into the habit of looking up directions and following them step by step instead of having a phone give them to you in real time, it becomes a lot easier to follow directions. Once you're more used to looking at maps, you'll find that it's a lot easier than it used to be to plan most of a route on your own. Once you've gotten pretty familiar with an area you'll find that you need directions for a lot less of your journey than you used to, and that you will likely be able to navigate the area you're comfortable with without a map.

Now, that's not universally true - some people have significant problems with cardinal directions and map reading the same way that I have left-right confusion and can't read clocks; it happens, not everyone can do everything. But by trying to do it at least a little bit sometimes you're likely to be a lot more comfortable in situations where you *can't* use a map, like if your phone dies or if there's an emergency that takes out the data network.

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pinkpastelcalesti · 1 year ago

Text

LANDSCAPING LOVE || Bakugou Katsuki x Reader || Chapter I.

SUMMARY -> Tired of bouncing back and forth between the U.S. and Japan after graduating college, you’ve finally secured the career of your dreams: You’re Japan’s first heroics cartographer, a title bestowed upon you due to your quirk and specialty, that creates geographic maps for hero agencies across the country. While your work is highly respected and sought after, you’re known for a more niche reason among your coworkers at the Dynamight Agency: the food you make is fucking amazing. When Dynamight himself inevitably gets word that you’re coming for his cooking title on his own turf, chaos ensues and you find yourself competing against your boss for not only best chef, but also to win over his heart.

CONTENT/WARNINGS -> Pro hero AU, agency reader, reader with a quirk, fem/AFAB reader, reader is originally from America, reader is bilingual (English and Japanese), strangers (more like coworkers that don’t get a chance to speak much) to friends to lovers, fluff & chaos, minimal angst, suggestive humor.

LENGTH -> 7.9K

MASTERLIST

Running late for your first agency project presentation was not on your bingo card this year.

Because of nerves and the constant fear that you were going to tumble over your words during your presentation, you pulled a semi-all nighter and stayed up until 3 a.m. rehearsing your slides and your speech for the Dynamight Agency’s meeting on your current geographic project.

You’ve been working for the company for 7 months now, and this project is the first large-scale assignment you’d been given since you started. You’ve worked on smaller, personal projects for Dynamight and other pro heroes, but this project was your pride and joy, seeing as it was requested by Dynamight himself.

Your quirk, landscape, allows for you to create an entire mental map, in very graphic detail, of the area around you within five miles. This includes the visualization and relative scale of buildings, sidewalks, roads, and alleyways. Your quirk works when you place your bare hands on the ground, which sort of sucks because the city’s grounds weren’t exactly the cleanest. In order for you to utilize your quirk correctly, you grew up practicing cartography of all sorts. One could say your quirk opened up doors to many different career paths, such as engineering or urban planning, but you had decided early on that the best way you would be able to help people is by utilizing your maps for heroes.

Heroes use maps for everything, and you were going to profit off of that no matter what. Your quirk could expand past the five mile radius if you kept bouncing around to different areas, drew their maps from your memory, and combined all maps to create one whole map of a specific city or town. During your time in undergrad, you majored in and graduated (Summa cum laude, may you add) with a degree in geography, your main focus of research being urban cartography. Heroics cartography didn’t exist, so you figured the next best thing would be urban areas.

Your undergraduate research consisted of said urban cartography, and because of your academic standing, you were offered a study-abroad program for geographers that was located in Tokyo, which you took without a second’s hesitation. You always dreamed that you’d be helping U.S. heroes, however, during your time in Tokyo, you fell in love with the entirety of Japan and the vast landscapes you got to visit and draw. Your research professor oversaw your projects, which consisted of city maps, data collection, and utilizing GIS software to create digital maps that could be used for multiple different areas, whether that be infrastructure planning, evacuation routes, or heroics, your main focus.

Your current job as a heroics cartographer is a first in Japan. While it’s not that well-known that you’re the first person to ever have such a title, the pro heroes around you seem to understand its importance. Your job at Dynamight’s Agency allows you to create maps for Dynamight and his sidekicks to use for patrol routes, monitoring high crime areas across the city, and visualizing the areas where property damage occurs most. Not only do you work for Dynamight, but your skills have been requested and used by other pros across the city, including but not limited to Deku, Shouto, and Red Riot.

You really got into this career out of sheer luck and fate. While you were drawing up maps for the city during your third year of undergrad, pro hero Red Riot had reached out to you after he accidentally destroyed one of your maps at the post office in Musutafu during a fight with a villain. He’d picked up the broken display and noticed your name in the corner and contacted you through your professor. Initially pissed off because you’d just finished that map literally a week and a half prior to its destruction, you gave him grace and told him you’d be in touch with the post office to create a new one.

He ended up paying you back for the damage, and upon realizing how detailed your maps were, inquired about your skills in cartography. It was quite jarring, sitting in Red Riot’s agency at the ripe age of 20, sweat dripping down your back through your blouse as one of the top heroes in the nation asked if you’d be able to draw up a map of a large electrical facility for him to use for an upcoming mission. He’d apparently been trying to find an up-to-date map of the interior, but had no luck. Within a week, you were being driven in a fancy company car to the facility so you could use your quirk and recreate the building’s interior infrastructure.

After you’d created the map for him, Red Riot, or Eijiro, as you now get to call him, had asked that you look into working for the pros after you graduated. He was under the impression that you were actually a Japanese university student, so you had to break the news that you actually worked in the U.S. Upon realizing, Eijiro explained that he would be more than happy to get you in contact with plenty of heroes that could use your work and give you a job abroad for almost double the pay you’d be receiving if you stayed in America.

Turns out that keeping in contact with a top hero in Japan that destroyed weeks of your work within 3 minutes of a fight was a good idea after all. Eijiro was the one who ultimately hooked you up with a job under the roof of Dynamight’s agency. Once you’d graduated, you decided that you’d work in the U.S. for a little while longer to build up your experience and resume before you decided to go abroad.

You ended up staying in America for two more years after graduation, traveling across the country and working with urban geographers in cities like Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, New York City, and Washington D.C. During this time, you were given full travel privileges to fly to Japan and help Red Riot and his pro hero allies develop brand new patrol map routes across different cities. You loved this part of your job most, and after finishing up your second year post-grad, decided to make it official and asked Eijiro if the job position was still on the table.

He would go on to give you one of the prettiest smiles you’d ever seen and excitedly tell you that yes, it was always available to you. Being friends with Eijiro meant not only a once-in-a-lifetime career connection, but it also meant realizing your potential early on.

You absolutely adore the work you do for Dynamight and his peers and wouldn’t trade it for the world. However, if you don’t hurry the hell up and get to your building in the next 7 minutes, your dream job might as well go poof. Dynamight absolutely hates when people are late, and you’ve had the pleasure of watching him blow up on company execs for showing up 15 minutes late and “wasting his fuckin’ time.”

Working for a man like Bakugou Katsuki was definitely a wakeup call the first two months you were at his agency. Turns out that while he approved your position that would inevitably change the way cartography was viewed in the modern world of heroes, Bakugou didn’t exactly care to look into what you specialized in, or so you thought. You really hadn’t had a chance to actually speak with him aside from filling him and his manager in on upcoming projects and maps you were in the process of making. After 7 months of working for the agency, you’d spoken to your boss a whopping four times, all lasting under three minutes.

This presentation you were about to give is the first one where Dynamight would be present, and fuck if you weren’t about to shit your pants from not only nerves, but fear that you might not get in the door on time for its start.

Racing past the front desk and haphazardly greeting the security guards before flashing your badge to be let through the agency gates blocking visitors from reaching the elevators, you managed to press the button for the remaining elevator on the ground floor that was being sent up.

You probably looked like an absolute atrocity in front of your fellow coworkers, with windswept hair and panting in the virtually silent elevator, save for the whirring of the machine as it took you up to the fourteenth floor of the building.

As soon as the doors of the elevator opened, you booked it down the hall to the meeting room, with 43 seconds to spare before the clock hit 9 a.m. sharp. “So sorry I’m running late! I was supposed to be here setting up earlier but some big stupid bitch tried hijacking the bus I was going to take-” you began in a rush, placing your bag and coat on your chair in the large room with a round table full of your team members and other coworkers from the analytics department.

Your team member Carl, one of only three others in the cartography department at the agency, hit your foot from under the table while calling out your name. “You’re speaking in English, we have no clue what you’re saying,” he whispered, with you quickly muttering out an apology. “Shit— sorry about that— slips my mind to switch back and forth sometimes. Apologies for not being here sooner,” you bowed to the ten workers in the room, suddenly realizing Dynamight himself nor his manager had shown up yet. Thank god, you let out a small breath of relief.

“Is Dynamight going to be in soon or should I begin without him?” You asked as your other team member Kanako grabbed your computer out of your bag and plugged it into the projector while you began pulling out your speaker notes.

“Said he’d be in soon, had to catch up with Red Riot about an ongoing police chase outside the city,” your last team member Naomi spoke out loud. Naomi was your resident work bff, and was also the one that regularly reached out to Dynamight for you to inquire about starting new projects or letting him know of recent updates. She honestly didn’t even like having to email her own boss that much, but she was more than happy to run into his manager and talk about the highs and lows of cartography if it meant staring at the poor man like he was on the lunch menu.

“Well that at least gives us some time to set it up. Sorry you all had to wait on me to get here to pull up the slides.” You felt guilty that your team had to sit in awkward silence with a department that rarely ever interacted with your own for probably a solid 20 minutes, but at least you got to the room before Dynamight so you didn’t risk a verbal ass beating in front of everyone.

As soon as you’d finished laying out the hand-drawn maps of your project out on the round table, Dynamight himself opened the large oak door and walked into the meeting room, glancing at you for a split second before sitting in the chair that was opposite of you, towards the back of the room and for him to be able to see everyone clearly. His manager trailed in behind him, scolding him for not slowing down and hearing his run down of how the meeting would go. Dynamight only waved his hand in the air at his manager before casting his sharp gaze back to you.

You felt a twinge of anxiety race up your body. You really hadn’t been expecting him to come to this meeting until Naomi filled you in two weeks ago that he wanted to attend. Guess it meant he actually did pay attention to what he hired you and your team for. Regardless, you bowed to him and began speaking, not waiting for him to tell you to start, as he wasn’t one that gave directions to grown adults.

“Thank you for joining us today, Dynamight. The project that my team and I have been working on recently is one you formally requested for us to start three months ago,” you clicked the presentation remote that flipped to the next screen on your slideshow. “As you requested, the cartography department created digital and physical choropleth maps of the districts within Musutafu and their relative crime rates within the past year.” You pointed towards the round desk. “The top map is the same as the map you see on our slideshow,” you spoke in a quick, easy-to-understand manner and glanced at everyone’s faces to gauge their reactions throughout your presentation speech.

The maps that Dynamight had asked for were so that he would be able to see if his patrol routes needed to be changed in order to monitor areas of Musutafu that were still unresponsive to patrols by heroes in terms of crime decreasing. If there was one thing your boss prided himself on, it was his patrol routes and his ability to cut crime and villain attack rates in his designated areas in half. However, recently there was an uptick in petty crime rates, and in order for him to not get shit on by the public for a “lack of appropriate response,” he put in a formal request for your department to create maps relating to recent data changes in crime rates across the city.

You and your team were more than happy to fulfill this request, as it meant working with real, recent data and meant you got to visit neighboring hero agencies and compare their patrol route crime rates with Dynamight’s. Any excuse to get out of your department’s office on the fifth floor was a godsend because your back really couldn’t handle anymore work days where you were hunched over the large workbench mapping out the city for hours at a time.

As you continued on with your presentation, you periodically glanced towards Dynamight to check his facial expressions for any annoyance or confusion at your maps. Seeing none, you internally LETS FUCKING GOOOO’d because you knew it meant at the very least that if he was understanding the maps, everyone else most likely could too.

Once you reached the last slide, you made a small noise of dissatisfaction. “When we took a look at certain districts, we did notice that the victims of the crimes committed were young women who regularly walked home by themselves later at night. They seemed to be around their early 20s to their late 30s.” Naomi nodded at you, a silent way of saying to continue on.

“I’m sure that you don’t like when many do this, and forgive me if I’m stepping out of bounds,” you began, feeling your hands sweat. “But please do take this information seriously. I know you’re a hardworking hero, so I trust your skills. But I sincerely hope the next time I check the data that the rates will have fallen. People deserve to walk home without fearing for their lives.”

Dynamight’s eyes seemed to bore into your skin, wanting to bark a clipped response back, but he managed to nod silently. You didn’t want to outright mention you yourself were scared of the trend in crime since you fit the statistic, often walking home by yourself late after all-day shifts, but it seems like he’d caught on by the look on your face.

You wrapped up the presentation and answered a couple different questions that the analytics department had about the data collection and resources you used. After your coworkers began packing their bags to leave, you noticed that Dynamight had gotten up out of his chair and walked over to you, who currently stood beside your bag, closing all the tabs you had open that were starting to overheat your little computer.

Glancing up, you nearly choked on your spit at the proximity between the two of you. He was in his winter hero suit, with the black turtleneck beneath his chest piece being pulled tight against his arms, making his muscles pop out unnecessarily in your face, but you definitely were not complaining. Bim..g… muscles… you thought, trying not to stare too long.

“Y-Yes, Dynamight sir?” You managed to sputter out, all too aware of your team members looking at the two of you now. Dynamight managed to grunt in acknowledgement before speaking. “Wanted to ask if you could make one of your fuckin’ maps for Deku. The shithead keeps begging me to ask, he wants one to hang up in his office of his patrol routes.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. Of course you would make him one, but you didn’t expect for Dynamight to ask you directly. Typically he forced his manager Atsuno to write out emails of requests he had. You managed to nod eagerly to him. “Yeah, no problem. I can email him later and ask about details. Thanks for letting me know.”

Dynamight only grunted once more before turning on his heel and leaving the room, leaving Atsuno to give chase to his boss as he bowed quickly at you and gave his appreciation for your presentation before leaving the room himself.

The only ones left in the room now were your teammates, and all it took was one glance between the four of you before you all let out a holler in excitement. “We did it! You did incredible up there girl,” Naomi slung her arm around you as you pulled her in for a hug. “I was shitting bricks the whole time, I don’t think I realized how intense Dynamight’s stare can be.”

Kanako and Carl high fived you as you all made your way to the elevator to take back down to your department. “Our first big project presentation and we didn’t get screamed at for a minuscule error? I think we deserve to celebrate tonight,” Carl wiggled his eyebrows towards you and Kanako, with Naomi agreeing excitedly.

“Bar or at someone’s place? Should we drink? Oh we’re totally drinking.” You couldn’t help but smile at your coworkers beside you. You were so grateful to have them beside you while you’d adjusted to the agency life the past couple months. All three of them had come from a specialized area in the analytics department that related to gathering information data on the public, which included things like crime rates and damage assessments.

When your job had been approved, Atsuno told you that you’d be working in a new department in your own section within the agency with some people taken from the analytics department, taking you off guard. You’d surely thought you’d be thrown into analytics too, seeing how geography and cartography could squeeze into it somehow.

Meeting your team for the first time, you were more than grateful to have them work with you as you’d expected to be alone in your department for a while. You helped walk them through the basics of cartography and digital mapmaking using current software, quickly realizing the talent each one had for different areas. While you were technically the head of your department, you felt like everyone pulled their weight equally and deserved to be held on the same level.

“We can go out or I can make us something,” you spoke out loud as the elevator dinged open. “I know you guys have been bugging me about cooking since I bring my own lunches everyday.” Naomi cheered beside you, agreeing as Carl and Kanako hummed in thought. “I’ll pitch in for ingredients if Carl and Naomi buy the alcohol,” Kanako said, casting a glance to her coworkers that were chanting, American food! American food! Over and over again to one another.

All in agreement, you quickly got off on the fifth floor and entered your department room. Located towards the right hand corner in the back of the large office floor, the department itself wasn’t noticeable to the general eye unless you went looking. You each had respective offices lining a small back hallway, with the room at the very end of it being your workshop that expanded into a large open-area space containing desktops, workbenches, and cartography supplies strewn around the place. Atsuno had been kind enough to order a custom nameplate to go above the awning of you and your team’s hall, with Heroics Cartography Department written out in beautiful gold lettering, contrasting nicely against the cool grey paint of the wall.

“Let’s lock in on the rest of the requests and orders today so we can leave at a decent time,” you said, closing the door to the workshop as everyone spoke in agreement. Carl called out your name as you were booting up the desktops to pull up emails from your clients. “We doing hard liquor shit tonight or going with something like wine? Need to pair it well with whatever you’re making.”

You hummed in thought. “We could definitely do cocktails. I was thinking about making gumbo since it’s still cold outside.” You grabbed your phone that was situated in your bag and opened up the Notes app to create your grocery store list. Luckily Japan kept up with their spices and typically had an American section in larger stores where you could grab some of the spice mixes needed for your food.

“Make it spicy as fuck girl, I wanna feel tears pouring out of my eyes to your incredible cooking,” Naomi said, sending you a dreamy look. “If I make it too spicy, Carl’s gonna shit his pants. We all know this man can’t handle spice to save his life.”

“Hey! Will not,” Carl scoffed in surprise. “I just got dunked on by my ancestors because they thought it was funny to give me no spice tolerance in a country that literally eats spicy food in almost every meal.” Kanako managed a laugh at that, sending Carl a sympathetic glance before speaking to you. “If it’s not too much trouble, you could always split it into one pot being spicy and one pot being milder.”

“Fair point, but y’all better eat every morsel of my food. Southern cooking isn’t for the weak,” you mentioned as you scrolled through your finished grocery list, checking for any missing items. Naomi sent you a questioning look before asking you, “you’re from the south U.S. right? Isn’t that like hella country?” You sighed as you nodded. “Yeah, but I lived in the city, not necessarily rural. Didn’t stop me from cooking all types of recipes though.”

“Well wherever you were, you managed to become a pretty kick ass chef on your own. Your lunch always looks god tier.” Kanako said as Carl and Naomi nodded in agreement. You felt your face heat up in embarrassment at the compliment. “Living on your own in college will make you think of some wild new recipes in the name of using up all your groceries to not waste food.”

“That’s for sure, I lived off 20 different cup ramen recipes I created myself with random items from the dining halls I could snag before I got caught.” Carl muttered out loud while he pulled different sized calipers from his desk drawer to begin sketching up a project for Chargebolt.

“Food is food, for real,” you nodded in solidarity. There’s been one too many times where you felt too lazy to make full meals during school, which meant being stuck with random microwave food you kept for low energy days in your apartment kitchen. “Can’t wait to get shitfaced and discuss the existential dread of fucking up on expensive mapping paper,” you mused. Being an absolute geek over geography and cartography, you’ve caught yourself in too many drunken rambles about work-related topics when out with college friends after finals and papers were finished up for the semester.

“Let’s do our best so we can enjoy our Friday into the weekend!” Naomi pumped her fist in the air as she spoke, all of you cheering in agreement.

ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-

Later that night, after you all managed to finish up your progress for the day and headed out to grab your respective supplies for your celebration, you found yourself humming to a random 2010s playlist that Kanako had thrown on randomly while you cooked in the kitchen of your apartment. You lived not too far from the agency, a 25 minute walk or an 8 minute bus ride, in a nice neighborhood adorned with townhomes along the street, away from the major roads but still comfortably accessible. The salary you had now had blessed you with the opportunity to live in a nicer place, but you still opted for a more homey feel rather than all the modern bullshit that people were raving for. You really hated the idea of solid white walls and no color in your living space.

Your apartment was on the smaller side but it was just you who lived there. Naomi actually lived in the townhome across the street on the second floor. You both had found out early in your job at the agency, walking home at the same time and going from that awkward “going the same way, sorry” to “oh word you live here?” It meant that you had regular girls nights together and grew close, the friendship between the two of you falling into place naturally. Kanako and Carl were actually roommates in a flat that was a 10 minute train ride away. It truly was fate that all of you managed to not only work well, but vibe with each other outside the office too.

As you finished plating your dishes in bowls, you could hear the conversation flowing between your team in your living room. A couple drinks had already been thrown back and you were more than aware that drinking before you had food in your system was probably a bad idea, but you were about to eat anyways so fuck it. You were already two Moscow mules deep by the time you’d finished up the gumbo.

“Food’s ready!” You called out from the kitchen, the open floor plan making it easy for you to get the attention of everyone else sitting on the couch watching Love is Blind. That show was a debatable one, but you enjoyed watching Carl’s bewildered expressions at the absolutely heinous jokes Kanako would throw out about the men and women of the show and some of their horrible personalities.

“Girl get in here and tell me whether or not you think Gigi needs to up and leave ugly ass Damian,” Naomi said, helping you grab two of the four plates you were bringing out to the coffee table. “I can tell you right now that she does, she’s way too good for someone that looks like a chad version of Ed Sheeran.”

Kanako busted out laughing at your remark, agreeing at the resemblance. As you ate, everyone poured endless compliments into your food, making your chest swell with pride in your hobby. You absolutely loved to cook, and it helped you get through the more rough parts of life when you were struggling to keep up with the demands of school and research. Cooking was your safe space and you made sure you perfected staple recipes from home so you could share them with others, like you were doing now.

Kanako threw back another shot as she chased it with a can of Dr. Pepper before speaking your name. “You do know that your cooking could rival Dynamight’s, right?” You paused mid chew, throwing up an eyebrow at her to continue. You didn’t strike your boss as a cooking connoisseur, but you yourself didn’t look like one either, so you kept an open mind.

“He brings food to the potlucks we have during holidays sometimes. When I tell you that man can damn well cook, believe me,” she slurred slightly, the alcohol already hitting her. Naomi nodded in agreement. “Trust us when we say his cooking is top tier. He’d never admit it, but he likes cooking for others if it means feeding into his ego.” Naomi said, letting out a huff of laughter.

“I tried his signature mapo tofu once and it was so good but I literally had to call in sick the next day because I could not handle the spice he puts in his recipes,” Carl’s forehead thudded against the wood of the coffee table as he grimaced at the memory. “If he ever found out I nearly passed out on the toilet from what he called ‘baby shit spicy’, I think he’d fire me.” You barked out a laugh at that, imagining Dynamight drilling it into your teammate about not appreciating his food and getting sick from it.

Your team had been working with the Dynamight Agency for almost 2 years before you’d joined. It was always jarring to hear the stories of Dynamight from them. Your initial reactions to him early on were anything but pleasant, and still sometimes lean on the side of moderate annoyance. He sounded like a total dick at the beginning, but had apparently mellowed out after high school. You heard he’d bullied the hell out of the current number 1 hero during his time in middle school and a little bit of high school, which had made you livid.

You grabbed the handle of Tito’s sitting in front of you all and poured it into your glass before cracking open a new can of ginger beer and pouring it into the glass as well. You could feel the warmth of the alcohol spreading through you, loosening up your tongue the more you drank.

Retrospectively, you really shouldn’t have said the next thing that you did if it meant saving your ass in the workplace that following Monday.

“I could definitely kick Bakugou’s ass if we had a cook off, I mean I’m basically a god tier hobby chef at this point,” you muttered, missing the expressions of your coworkers, specifically the smirk Naomi had on her face. “You think so?” Carl nudged your leg with his own, casting you a tipsy glance. “Fuck yeah I could, I don’t think you realize how hard some southern cooking can be. If I can keep making the recipes without screwing them up, I’m pretty much a god in the kitchen.”

Naomi snickered as Kanako sighed out. “Don’t let Dynamight hear you say that. He gets competitive fast, especially when it comes to food. He was known in high school as the chef of his dorm, didn’t trust others to cook as well as he could.” You definitely could see that, as he struck you as the type to call his friends’ cooking skills trash compared to his own. You hadn’t had the chance to try anything by him yet but could assume it was pretty good if your coworkers spoke of it so highly.

“He can bring it on, I’m not scared of his ass, I bet he couldn’t cook a Cajun recipe if he tried,” Your mouth was moving before you had a chance to realize the words you were saying. “Yeah yeah, big talk for a girl that stuttered after taking one look at her boss’ biceps.” You nearly choked on your drink as Naomi absolutely obliterated you with one sentence. Damn, I really thought I was slick with the look. You sighed as Kanako simply whistled in your direction.

“Don’t tell me you’re falling for him already? His good looks are hard to miss,” she said as she handed you a napkin to wipe your mouth with. Muttering out a thanks, you tried to save yourself some embarrassment. “Oh please, if I wanted to torture myself by falling for a narcissist, I’d go for Shindou instead.” You shuddered at the thought of working for someone like him, suddenly grateful at the fact that you were working for Dynamight instead.

“Don’t deny yourself. I bet you probably had a Dynamight wall in your dorm room at some point.” Carl was an absolute menace when he got tipsy, clearly not skipping out on poking fun at you. You groaned at his comment, shaking your head. “Nah, it was a Deku wall, actually.” You weren’t lying if you thought about it, you did have a lot of respect for the hero as you’d learned more about him during your study abroad. He came from a humble background, what was there not to like about someone as sweet as the number 1?

“You always struck me as the type of person to go for someone batshit crazy though. I bet you’d probably like it if Dynamight was mean to you.” Kanako sent you a look that made you shiver. “How dare you accuse me of such nonsense,” you tutted, sipping on your drink before muttering a small, “I probably would.” Naomi slapped her hand on the table, yelling out, “I heard that you freak!”

You couldn’t help but laugh as your team members switched the topic to their picks for hottest heroes, with Carl sighing dreamily as he named Red Riot his number one choice, Uravity being a close second. During the chaos of the conversation, you forgot all about your quip towards Dynamight’s cooking.

You really should have remembered, because remembering would mean you could have prepared yourself more for your conversation with him later.

ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-

After the eventful weekend and nursing a massive hangover from the sheer amount of vodka you managed to drink together, your team trudged their way into the workplace again and began the process of uploading and creating new maps on ArcGIS to send over for clients’ approval. You were all lucky you got weekends off when there wasn’t a high demand of requests for maps and geographic data.

You were midway through a rough sketch of Deku’s patrol route, taking a small break to grab a water bottle from the vending machine on the second floor when you heard the first whispers.

“— she definitely wouldn’t,” a man from the finance department whispered to his coworker who was shaking his head enthusiastically. You recognized the guy who was speaking as Leo, a coworker you’d met early on that helped you budget out what was needed in terms of supplies in your current workspace. He often chatted with Naomi, who regularly contacted him to put in new orders of pencils and ink for the maps you all drew by hand. “I think she could. She’s from the west, they tend to take home cooking pretty seriously over there. No doubt she could beat him.” The other coworker beside Leo spoke. Now that caught your attention. It sounded like they were talking about you, but you couldn’t be sure. You didn’t know how many other people were in the agency that were also from the west, they could be talking about anybody, right?

As soon as they saw you, Leo nudged his coworker to shut up before waving at you with an uneasy smile. “What are y’all talking about over here? Something about cooking?” You said, walking over and greeting both of them. Leo nodded, slightly caught off guard. “Yeah, we— uh, we were talking about a cooking show we both watch! One of the chefs is from the west and she’s competing with other chefs to win a national title.” You raised an eyebrow at him, not really buying it but not really caring too much to think that hard about it. “Well remember that westerners can be pretty goated at cooking all kinds of food. She’s probably got a chance,” you shrugged before excusing yourself, waving at them as you walked back to the elevator once you purchased your water bottle.

You continued to flutter in and out of your workspace throughout the day, stopping for lunch and eating in your office with Naomi before returning back to work. However, you weren’t stupid; there were way more eyes on you today than you’d ever experienced, even more than when you first joined. You knew Naomi was sort of a gossip guru in the office, but you’d assumed she was probably flexing your cooking to anyone that crossed her path during the day.

You didn’t mind it, but the attention on you was definitely kind of concerning, especially because people kept whispering about something to do with an upcoming agency event that would include food. You figured you could probably whip up some good appetizers to bring to it, whenever it was.

As you were finishing up your sketches and scaling them correctly with the notes on your computer, Atsuno hurriedly burst through the door of the workshop, looking slightly disheveled. Your coworkers all glanced up at him at the same time before he coughed awkwardly and straightened his posture.

“New request sent in? Surely it’s not that important for you to have to run in here for,” You asked him as you wiped your hands on a towel to get rid of the ink stains along your palms. You definitely couldn’t risk messing up the paper now that you were this far along. He sighed heavily before shaking his head. “No, I uh— I had to come in here and ask that you go meet with Dynamight before you get off work. He wants to check in on the progress with Deku’s patrol route map.” You raised an eyebrow. Couldn’t he just shoot us an email? you wondered before nodding, asking if he was in his office. Atsuno nodded, offering to walk with you there, filling you in on the progress that’s about to be made with the maps your team had created relating back to crime rates along the districts in the city.

You missed the slightly concerned glance Naomi cast your way as you exited the shop.

After taking the elevator up to Dynamight’s office located on the 10th floor, you stepped off the lift and looked around the interior. You rarely ever came to this floor since it was mainly Dynamight’s office, the rest of the floor filled with smaller offices that were for his sidekicks, Atsuno, and his other head managers from different departments.

Turning right out of the elevator, Atsuno walked you to Dynamight’s office, adjacent from his own. Upon knocking, a gruff “come in” came from the other side of the door. Dynamight’s office was fucking nice.

It was as large as your own workshop, if not larger, and contained Dynamight’s desk, shelves full of memorabilia and other items, a couch in the center of the room, and what seemed to be an en-suite bathroom. His office overlooked the rest of the city, large window panes lining the wall his back was turned to. Along the rest of the non-windowed walls were frames of photos that contained Dynamight in his younger years, from when he was in high school to now. He was still in his mid 20s, but the photos along the wall told an interesting story of his life the past few years as he climbed the hero ranks.

Turning towards him, Atsuno cleared his throat before bowing to you and leaving, citing that he had to go sit in on a phone call with a sports clothing brand that was looking to sponsor Dynamight. He sure did clear out of here fast. You figured he was probably just busy, as all Mondays are.

Dynamight was staring into your soul again as you turned back to him and awkwardly shifted your weight onto your other foot. You began the conversation with, “you wanted to check in on Deku’s request, right?”

“Yeah. Nerd’s looking forward to it and won’t shut the hell up every time he calls me. Enjoys your work a fuckin’ ton,” he spoke, his gravelly voice sending a pleasurable hum through your body. If he wasn’t a hero, he could definitely be an ASMR YouTuber, you mused.

You gave him a small smile. “I’m surprised he’s heard of me. My work isn’t exactly groundbreaking,” you began to fiddle with your work jacket’s zipper. It was cold as shit in your office, so you had Leo sneak in an order for your team to have matching work jackets by Carhartt since they were durable and warm. “Yeah, well get used to the recognition. Your job is a first for the country. Constantly gettin’ questions about why I hired you.” You felt a small spark of annoyance work through your system. “Not sure you mean that in a good or bad way.” You huffed, walking towards his desk and sitting across from him in one of the plush seats. He eyed you with mild curiosity before explaining.

“Not a bad thing. People just don’t understand why yer work’s so important.” You nodded in acknowledgement. He wasn’t wrong. Cartographers are uncommon in the modern world now that technology has dominated the industry. You remember the times in college where people would always ask why you got into your field. You had to explain that cartography wasn’t just hand drawing maps; it related back to software and digital images too.

“I get to create anything I want on a map. My quirk’s a weird one, but it helps a lot of different people, so I’m not complaining.” You eyed the pack of pink sparkly sticky notes and glitter pens sitting next to Dynamight’s keyboard. Pinky probably brought him her new stationary set that launched recently, you thought to yourself with amusement.

“Speakin’ of, been wantin’ to ask you a question.” Dynamight caught you eying his stationary and scratched his neck in what you could assume to be embarrassment. “Shoot,” you replied, noting that the sun was finally beginning to set later in the day now that the winter solstice happened a month ago.

“Why didn’t you become like— a fuckin’ underground hero or some shit? Your quirk isn’t that niche. Could use it for raids n’ infiltrating places.” You didn’t know whether or not to take his commentary as a compliment or not, but you figured that if he was questioning your avoidance of the hero career path, it meant he noticed something in you that you didn’t.

“It wasn’t for me. My quirk is exhausting. Five miles sounds like a pretty small radius, but when I’m visualizing the area, everything is visualized. Buildings, roads, you name it. Drawing it from memory takes a lot out of me,” you spoke. “I take a while to draw and digitize my maps. It wouldn’t be easy to keep up with the hustle of hero work, let alone working within a time crunch.”

Dynamight hummed in acknowledgement. You really didn’t expect to be conversing with him about your life choices, but it was a nice break, and it meant you got to learn more about him, even if he was asking about your life.

“You still chose to work with heroes though.” You let out a small laugh. “I guess you’re right,” you began, meeting his stare. He was really pretty now that you were looking closer at him. “I figured if I couldn’t handle the stress of real hero work, that working behind the scenes is the next best thing. My maps are almost always accurate and to scale; I pride myself on it. Means that heroes can rely on the information for a multitude of things.”

He nodded, seemingly hesitating before speaking again. “Know we ain’t had a chance to talk much since y’started working here. Red begged me to put you in my agency because he figured you’d be easier to reach here and your name would get recognized if it was associated with my office.” You hadn’t really thought of that before, but he was right. Red Riot’s office was packed as it was, and you figured everyone else’s was too. It was a lucky shot that you got placed with Dynamight, since he was still looking for workers to fill in his office due to it being newer than most.

“I really appreciate Eijiro being able to start my career off like this. I never would have imagined moving across the country to start my dream job so soon, if at all,” you said, casting your gaze to the pictures on Dynamight’s shelves behind his desk. “First name basis, huh?” the hero smirked as you let out a small noise of shock. “Y-Yeah, we kept in contact a lot and he would regularly help me gain clients in different cities. Told me that we were friends and to stop addressing him by his hero name every time we talked.”

“That’s Eiji for you.” A pregnant pause followed before your boss let out a groan of frustration. “I’m not— I fuckin’ hate small talk like this. Don’t know how people do it,” Dynamight said finally, pinching the bridge of his nose before speaking again. “Couldn’t figure out how to speak to you without sounding like a dick ‘cause I didn’t do it sooner. Atsuno was grilling me about not even having a functional conversation with you yet, even though I’m the one that hired you.”

You let out a laugh at that. You had been a little mad at him for not even properly greeting you since you began your work for the agency, but you assumed that being the number 2 hero in Japan was busy as shit. “I get it, you’re a top hero. I’m sure you’re busy enough as it is, can’t blame you for not being able to talk to a cartographer of all people,” you shrugged as you spoke, Dynamight leaning back in his office chair and giving you a small nod.

“Yeah. Sorry for steering the conversation elsewhere. How’s Deku’s shitty map comin’ along?” He asked as you began going through the details of your progress.

After you explained the gist of it, he grunted in response before standing up. He’s tall as fuck, you realized as you hurriedly stood up as well, assuming your talk was over with. Dynamight walked you to his office door before stopping once you turned around to thank him again. “Thanks for uh— earlier. When you were complimenting my work. It means a lot, truly.”

“Don’t let it inflate yer shitty ego. Can’t handle another person that gets a big head after someone compliments them,” he spat. You could tell he wasn’t used to being given a sincere thanks very often. “Hey. One more thing.”

You raised an eyebrow at him as his face turned blank for a moment before he sighed and his signature scowl returned. You should have known the conversation you were having earlier was too good to be true.

“You would not be able to win against me in a fuckin’ cook off. My cooking probably beats yours by a shit ton. Watch your mouth next time you run around all bark and no bite.” You nearly fainted on the spot as your body ran as cold as ice. What the fuck. What the fuck? WHAT THE FUCK? You repeated in your head, eyes going wider than dish plates as Dynamight’s glare sent another chill down your spine.

“Shit.” Is all that came out of your mouth after he all but pushed you by your back out the door and closed it in your face.

It’s official, you think as you trudge your way to the elevator, the beginning of a migraine creeping into your skull. You were going to kill Naomi.

#pro hero katsuki x reader #pro hero bakugou x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #bakugou x reader #katsuki x reader #bnha x reader #mha x reader #ross works

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inkdragonworks · 2 years ago

Text

Hope you all had a nice Halloween! This was another quiet month for development. Started off finishing a round of updates to the cutscene editor, and importing it over to Fragaria Park for future use.

When I finally finished with that, I rounded off the final cutscene for Chapter 2, where Poppin and Jupa run into the main antagonists again. Came to the conclusion that one of them, Grab, needed a couple more poses.

I performed similar work with some NPCs, named Ruby and Topaz. They're miners you can talk to in Chapter 2. Something I really want to try doing with this game is having previous places update a little bit if you happen to backtrack through them, as a way to make it less boring and give a sense of time passing. For enemies this is a matter of swapping some in and out, but for NPCs, I'd like to update dialogue and portraits and such to reflect it.

Speaking of backtracking, I created a Tram that would take Poppin and Jupa around Snow Machinia... after they find a pass later on. Like the elevator it's meant to be a convenient way of getting around. I'm trying very hard to design the map so that navigation makes sense.

One other avenue of navigation, that I may have mentioned, are colored doors that zip you around the mountain. You can see one of them up above with the yellow door.

These doors are secret tunnels built by an underground race of robed cave dwellers (Jupa ends up calling them "Clock Twerps"). A route nearby has one of them running away and dropping the key to this door.

There's two other keys before this that allude to clock twerps dropping these keys and such, so I really hope the connection sticks. In other parts of the game there won't be so much emphasis on it, but you can presume one of these critters dropped a spare key. What they use them for and why they need them... you'll find out eventually!

And then I started on some enemies that are meant to populate the caves between future chapters/areas. This first one is Stalactmic, a bat with a microphone nose and speakers for ears. They shoot violent soundwaves that bounce around.

And then there's Mackerel The Knife, a lanky fish with sharp bones that it uses to attack prey. There's two variants: the one here that swims near the top of water, jumping out to attack. And then another you'd encounter while submerged underwater, that ends up spinning and bouncing around in place.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The theme last month was rounding out content for optional, post-chapter places, excluding the Tram which is a prominent part of Chapter 3.

Chapter 3 is pretty intimidating. Of the 7 chapters I have planned, while I don't know if it'll be the longest, it is the most varied in terms of locations. While it's nice to get a break from making rocks, I'm still not confident with tilesets and backgrounds and picking good colors for them.

I'm planning to keep picking at the Chapter 2 enemies and additional areas first this month. That *may* involve the return of Dr. Thurston, and finally giving you an idea of what his gameplay involves, but I may end up using momentum from enemy work to finish up the ones for Chapter 3, as well as completing Rickity's boss fight.

I didn't end up drawing as much as I wanted in October, and I have been thinking of finding a way to talk about Poppin and Jupa's world more, but I'm still on the fence. My current job is pushing us to get software certifications, so some of my time is dedicated to studying. I'd still like to keep pace with the game though; I never feel like I'm doing enough. Until then, thanks for reading.

#my stuff #my art #monthly updates #poppin #jupa #poppin and jupa pocket adventure #game dev #game blog #game updates #game design #metroidvania #pixel art

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bratshaws · 1 year ago

Text

through the hourglass 323. brb x oc

a/n: happy crysler ;) (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

/316/317/318/319/320/321/322

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989 @enchantingharmonyalpaca @callsign-magnolia

He checked the calendar on his phone and his deployment time was coming to an end. Sure, that with the whole thing now he might have to stay a bit longer, but he was almost home.

Fuck he missed Beatrice so much.

Maybe it was the stress of…everything,because if she was close by he could easily place his head on her lap and let her know what was bothering him in person, not on a phone. Rooster huffs, thumbing through his gallery to check every picture he had of her and the kids, he does not regret buying extra storage to keep all of these.

In the quiet solitude of his temporary quarters, Rooster couldn't help but smile at the images of Beatrice and the kids. Their faces, frozen in laughter, joy, and the everyday moments of family life, offered a respite from the complexities of his mission.

The distance only intensified the love and longing he felt for them.

A knock on his door interrupted his contemplation. Rooster looked up to find McAllister standing at attention. "Sir, Vice-Admiral Simpson requested your presence in the briefing room. It's about the latest findings in the investigation."

Rooster sighed, the bittersweet moment with the pictures fading as duty called. "I'll be there in a minute, McAllister."

As McAllister left, Rooster took a final glance at the pictures before locking his phone. The countdown to his return was tangible, and the prospect of being reunited with Beatrice and the kids only fueled his determination to bring the investigation to a resolution.

He wastes no time then and leaves his quarters. The briefing room was a controlled chaos of officers, maps, and data projections. Rooster took his seat at the table,placing his hands on the surface while Vice-Admiral Simpson stood at the front, ready to address the assembled officers.

"At ease, everyone," Vice-Admiral Simpson began, his gaze sweeping across the room. "We've gathered here to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing investigation brought to our attention by Lt.Bradshaw.”

"Our investigation has revealed that Lieutenant Mark was involved in clandestine activities that go beyond the scope of his official duties," Vice-Admiral Simpson stated, his tone measured. "The modifications to his jet were not just an upgrade in communication systems. There's evidence of advanced tracking capabilities, undisclosed software patches, and deviations from assigned flight routes."

The gravity of the situation hung in the air, and Rooster exchanged glances with McAllister, both understanding the implications.

Fuck

Cyclone continued, "These actions raise concerns about the potential compromise of mission security and the unauthorized gathering of sensitive information. Lt. Bradshaw, please provide us with a concise summary of your findings so far."

Rooster stood, projecting the key details of the investigation on the screen. He outlined Mark's deviations during missions, the modifications to the avionics suite, and the discovery of key contacts linked to Mark's activities.

"As of now, we have identified connections that suggest Lieutenant Mark was involved in off-the-books operations, possibly gathering intel or engaging in activities outside the purview of the Navy," Rooster explained, his voice steady. "The advanced tracking capabilities indicate a deliberate effort to avoid detection, which raises questions about the nature of these operations."

Vice-Admiral Simpson nodded, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. "This has the potential to impact the squadron's reputation and national security. We need to act swiftly and decisively. I’ve already…did my own part such as speaking with the Lt.’s relative, who, tried terribly to play as if Mark did nothing wrong."

“But,as you know,the Navy takes breaches of this nature seriously, and we will cooperate fully to get to the bottom of this. Lieutenant Bradshaw, Mark is probably aware…so Lt.I’d like for you to join me when I talk to him.”

Rooster nodded in acknowledgment of the order. "Understood, sir."

Vice-Admiral Simpson dismissed the officers after the briefing, instructing Rooster to meet him later for the discussion with Lieutenant Mark. Rooster took a moment to gather his thoughts before leaving the briefing room. The weight of responsibility pressed on him, and he had to inhale to calm himself down.

As Rooster headed to his temporary quarters to prepare for the upcoming conversation, he thought about the impact this could have on the squadron and the Navy as a whole. The reputation of the squadron was at stake, and the potential compromise of mission security raised alarms at the highest levels of command.

He paused at the door of his quarters, taking a deep breath before entering. The pictures of Beatrice and the kids greeted him when he unlocked his phone, a comforting reminder of what awaited him upon his return.

The investigation had entered a critical phase, and Rooster knew he had to tread carefully.

He was nervous.

He couldn’t lie.

His mind raced through the key points he needed to address with Lieutenant Mark. The challenge was not only in extracting information but in understanding the motives behind Mark's actions.

Once ready, Rooster made his way to meet Vice-Admiral Simpson. The atmosphere in the naval base was charged with so much tension, it crackled. The investigation had become a focal point, and rumors circulated among the officers.

No one had ever dealt with something like that, no one from his age forward because the older officers appeared - while upset- not at all surprised. He huffs through his nose, then rolled his neck as he walks forward.

Upon reaching the vice-admiral's office, Rooster was ushered in, finding Lieutenant Mark already present. The atmosphere in the room was strained, and Mark's expression revealed nothing for now.

Brave yet stupid, if Vice-Admiral Simpson’s expression was anything to go by. "Gentlemen, we find ourselves in a situation that demands clarity. Lieutenant Mark, you are aware of the nature of this meeting. I expect your full cooperation and transparency."

Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat but nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll answer any questions you have."

He turned to Rooster. "Lieutenant Bradshaw, please sit down.”

Rooster took a seat, his gaze focused on Mark. The air in the room felt charged with tension, the impending confrontation palpable and Vice-Admiral Simpson wasted no time and delved into the heart of the matter.

"Lieutenant Mark, the evidence gathered during Lieutenant Bradshaw's investigation suggests unauthorized modifications to your jet and deviations from assigned mission routes. We need an explanation for these actions, and we need it now."

Mark hesitated, glancing between Rooster and Vice-Admiral Simpson. His eyes betrayed a mixture of unease and defiance. "Sir, I can explain. The modifications were necessary for a classified mission I was undertaking. I couldn't disclose the details due to the sensitive nature of the operation."

Vice-Admiral Simpson raised an eyebrow, skepticism evident in his expression. "Classified mission? Lieutenant, you are required to follow protocol and obtain proper authorization. These off-the-books modifications not only violate Navy regulations but also raise concerns about the compromise of mission security. And you already started wrong by lying to me. No mission,secret or not, goes without my say so.”

Rooster's gaze remained fixed on Mark, a quiet intensity in his eyes. He said nothing, only kept watching.

Mark swallowed, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. "Sir, I understand the protocol, but this mission was different. It involved sensitive information that couldn't be shared even within the chain of command. I had to take matters into my own hands to ensure its success."

Vice-Admiral Simpson leaned back in his chair, his expression stern. "Lieutenant Mark, the Navy does not operate on individual whims. You had a responsibility to communicate the nature of your mission to the superiors who could evaluate its necessity and provide the required clearances. By bypassing this protocol, you've compromised not only the mission but the integrity of the entire squadron." he frowns “And Lt.Bradshaw is one of your superiors in this mission, did you hear anything about it,Rooster?”

“No,sir.”

Vice-Admiral Simpson nodded, his stern expression deepening. "Lieutenant, your actions have not only jeopardized the mission but the trust and cohesion within this squadron. These are serious offenses, and you will be held accountable. Now, I want the truth. What was the actual nature of this so-called classified mission?"

Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes darting between Rooster and Cyclone . The weight of the situation hung heavy in the room.

"I...I well," Mark stammered. "It's a matter of uh,security.”

Cyclone’s patience wore thin,and his blue eyes narrowed. "The consequences of your actions extend beyond personal discretion." he pauses, “...whatever your reason was, lying and obscuring it was does not help your situation.’

Rooster maintained his composed silence, observing Mark's feeble attempts to navigate through the web of lies he had spun.

Vice-Admiral Simpson leaned forward, his voice cutting through the tension. "Lieutenant Halton, the Navy values trust and transparency. Your actions not only undermine the core principles of our organization but also endanger the lives of those around you. It's time for the truth. No more evasions."

Mark swallowed hard, the beads of sweat on his forehead multiplying. His eyes flickered to Rooster, a hint of desperation in the gaze that met Rooster's unwavering stare. Rooster felt a surge of frustration,but he remained quiet.

Cyclone continued, "I won't jump to conclusions, Lieutenant, but your actions demand accountability. Now, you have a choice. You can come clean, provide an honest account of your actions, and face the consequences within the framework of military justice. Or, you can continue down this path of deception, and the repercussions will be severe."

Mark hesitated, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The room seemed to close in around him as the weight of his transgressions pressed down.

"Sir, I... I can't..." Mark's voice wavered, the façade crumbling. "I can't disclose the details. It's classified, and I can't risk—"

Vice-Admiral Simpson cut him off with a sharp gesture. "Enough, Lieutenant. Your refusal to cooperate and your attempts at secrecy have already painted a damning picture. If you choose not to provide a full and honest account, we'll proceed with a formal inquiry, and you will be held accountable for your actions."

“You CAN’T DO THIS!” Mark shouted “Do you NOT KNOW WHO MY AUNT IS??”

Silence.

That outburst wasn’t planned and…well, it slammed the nail on the coffin easily.

The room fell into a heavy silence after Mark's outburst. The mention of his aunt added a layer to the situation, but Vice-Admiral Simpson's expression remained unmoved. Rooster, though surprised by the revelation, tried his best to remain quiet himself.

Vice-Admiral Simpson spoke with a measured tone, his gaze unwavering. "Oh I am quite aware. Your aunt already tried to pull your ass off the fire."

Mark's face turned pale as he realized that his attempt to leverage his family connection had backfired. “What does he have that I don’t?” Mark snarled “His father was a pilot too! And yet–” the mention of Goose made Rooster’s jaw clench and he almost moved up to Mark to face him down but Cyclone held his hand up, “And Maverick! Maverick is his uncle! This is unfair treatment!”

Jesus Mark was a spoiled child.

The tension in the room escalated as Mark's outburst hung in the air. Cyclone, maintaining his calm demeanor, addressed Mark's accusations. "Lieutenant Halton, personal connections and family history do not exempt anyone from the rules and principles that govern the Navy. Your attempt to use your family's influence will not change the fact that you violated protocol and jeopardized the mission."

Mark's face contorted with anger, and he shot a venomous glance at Rooster. "You think you're so special, Rooster…you think no one knows? Without Maverick you’d be nothing. He protected you so much before,right?"

"Lieutenant Halton," Cyclone warns, “That is enough.”

Mark seethed with anger “You are just…less than me.” he growls, “My aunt is a vice-admiral and yet I’m still a lieutenant! Why?! How is that fair?!”

"Lieutenant Halton, your personal grievances and accusations are not relevant to the situation at hand," Vice-Admiral Simpson stated firmly. "We are here to address the breach of protocol and the potential threat to the mission–"

Mark's face contorted with a mix of anger and frustration. "This is unjust! How did he get this far without his uncle’s help?”

The realization weighs enough for him to stop talking.

Cyclone’s eyes narrow, “...what did you say?”

The room's tension was palpable as Mark's last words hung in the air. Cyclone's piercing gaze bore into Mark, a subtle warning in his eyes.

Mark swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of his words. “I–”

Cyclone's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Lieutenant Halton,are you saying your aunt helped you move through the ranks and your promotions are without merit?"

Mark shifted uncomfortably under Cyclone's gaze. His mind raced, searching for the right words that could possibly salvage his deteriorating situation.

"I didn't mean that," Mark stammered, attempting to backtrack. "I just meant that, well, people have connections, and it helps sometimes. I didn't mean to imply–"

Rooster turned to face him, finally speaking up "Your aunt helped you move up." he says firmly, “That’s what you are saying.”

Rooster's words hung in the air, and Mark's attempt to backtrack faltered as the weight of the truth settled around him. He cast a furtive glance at Rooster, realizing that his own words had inadvertently exposed a well-guarded secret.

Cyclone's stern expression deepened, and the room seemed to shrink with the gravity of the revelation. The Vice-Admiral's gaze shifted between Mark and Rooster, assessing the situation before he spoke, his voice measured. "Lieutenant Halton,if your promotions were influenced by factors other than your merit and dedication, it undermines the integrity of our entire institution. Is it true?"

Mark, cornered and exposed, found himself at a crossroads. He was quiet.

Cyclone's gaze remained fixed on Mark. "Answer the question, Lieutenant."

Mark hesitated, the internal struggle evident on his face. Finally, he spoke in a subdued tone, "Yes, my aunt has helped me. She has connections, and she used them to ensure my career progressed smoothly."

The room fell into a heavy silence. Rooster's expression hardened, mouth falling open in surprise. Cyclone's face remained impassive, but there was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

"I see." Cyclone mutters, “...that explains a lot.”

Cyclone's gaze remained fixed on Mark, his disappointment evident. "Lieutenant Halton, the Navy values integrity and merit. Using personal connections to advance one's career goes against the principles we stand for."

Mark, realizing the gravity of his admission, attempted to salvage the situation. "But sir, my aunt j-just believed in my potential. She wanted to ensure I had opportunities—"

Cyclone cut him off with a stern look. "Belief in potential is one thing, Lieutenant. Undermining the fair and competitive nature of our organization is another. " he sighs “And this goes beyond the breach of protocol during the mission. We now have to reassess your role within the Navy, Lieutenant Halton. There will be an inquiry into the extent of the influence exerted on your career."

Rooster took the time that Mark was quiet to speak, “...did Miranda know?”

“What?”

His eye twitched,”Did Miranda,your wife, know about this?” he grinds his teeth, “Is that why she was saying shit to my wife?”

Mark's face turned a shade of pale that matched the tension in the room. The mention of Miranda,caught him off guard, and he fumbled for words. "Miranda didn't know the specifics," he admitted hesitantly. "I-I mean, not everyth–”

Rooster's expression hardened. "So, she did know, right?"

“W-Well–”

“And she was bothering Beatrice, my Bea, because she was also jealous of her? Or was she just helping your little scheme?”

Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as Rooster's questions pierced through the already tense atmosphere. "Miranda knew that my aunt was in a high-ranking position," Mark confessed, avoiding direct eye contact with either Rooster or Cyclone. "But I swear, I never asked Miranda to harass your wife. That wasn't part of the plan."

Rooster's jaw clenched, the muscles in his face tight with frustration. "Plan? You had a plan for this? To use your family connections to climb the ranks and then drag my wife into your mess?"

Mark stammered, his attempt at salvaging the situation crumbling. "I didn't mean to drag anyone into this. Miranda took it upon herself to –"

"To what? Make Bea's life miserable?" Rooster's voice rose, anger bubbling to the surface. "You can't just wash your hands of this, Mark. You initiated this chain of events, and now you have to face the consequences." he snarls, “...none messes with my girl,Mark. No one.”

The room seemed to tighten with every passing moment. Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes darting around the room, searching for a way out.Rooster's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, his hands clenched into fists.

Mark's attempts at an explanation faltered as Rooster continued, his anger escalating with each word. "You used your aunt's influence, and God knows what else. But my wife? She had nothing to do with your ambitions, and yet you let your plan spill into her life. You should’ve focused on me. I don’t give a shit if Miranda thought about this on her own, she.overstepped.the.line."

Cyclone interjected, his voice firm. "Lieutenant Halton,personal relationships have been affected, and that will also be considered in the inquiry." he blinks, “Now,anything else you want to add before,” he gestures to Rooster, “Lt.Bradshaw loses his temper even more?”

Mark's face turned from pale to flushed, caught in the crossfire of Rooster's wrath and Cyclone's stern reprimand. He swallowed hard, his attempt at composure faltering as he glanced between the two officers. "I... n-no sir I-"

“Wonderful. Rooster, please wait outside my office,yes?”

Rooster shot one final stern look at Mark before standing up and nodding at Cyclone. Without uttering a word, he left the room, the heavy door closing behind him with a resounding thud.

He rubbed his eyes, then inhaled deeply. It was finally over, he hoped.

Jesus.

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